Terror on the Wind
by Flying J
Summary: A story that attempts to add a literary flair to the Diablo II story and attempts to include all characters.


Terror on the Wind

Act I, Part I

Akara frowned as the rooster crowed at the rising sun. Another day was coming to light in Khanduras and what she had been referring to as home for the past six months. She was the leader of the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye, or simply Rogues.

She forced herself out of bed clearing her throat with a slight coughing fit before she managed to breath normally. Akara was getting on in years and though she was fit her silver hair and slightly aged face made her look older than she was. The rainy weather was damaging to her and the others as they had become accustomed to their Monastery home.

This thought made her frown as it reminded her of the recent troubles her and the other sisters were facing.

Okay so troubles was not a fitting word a better phrase was the destruction of everything she had ever known. She moved from her cot to getting her traditional robes on and finished tying them before stepping out into the biting cold air of the morning.

She looked up as the sun cracked lightly through the clouds before they closed in and then it began to drizzle lightly as she began heading towards the tent the Rogues had been using to gather for meals.

She nodded to each of the guards that were covering the gate and stopped briefly to warm her hands up by the fire pit that was still smoldering from the night before. Warriv chose that moment to come talk to her.

"Good morning Akara."

"Good morning Warriv, howre you today?"

"I am great and will be better when I am allowed back through the pass to take my goods East. Do you have any idea of when that will be yet? Surely the Order is able to throw these beasts back..-

She cut him off, "I of course have some idea currently Warriv, but Kashya will have more information as you by now know I handle the spiritual side of our order more than anything else. We have begun to throw back the demons, but we can only do so much and lost many on the retreat from the Monastery to the river bank."

He nodded to her pulling his hands back from the fire and fixing his turban. "I understand. Well let us pray to the light that there will be some sort of aid. Is there anything I can do? I realize I only just arrived, but I have some food stuffs..."

Akara smiled, "That would do well we are low on supplies, as for around here I know we are rebuilding the east wall after another attack last night. Perhaps you could help?"

Warriv nodded and moved off towards the east wall and Akara watched him go frowning slightly, _'He only now realizes the desperate situation we face. We are only responding to the demon attacks we cant do anything but sit here and slowly be annihilated Light help us all.'_

Akara shook her head and went to see Charsi and Kashya for breakfast in the camps main dining tent. She sat down at her normal seat after grabbing a small bowl of broth and vegetables their cook had put together.

She sipped her broth just as the blacksmith Charsi and the High Warrior Kashya sat down. They both nodded, "High Priestess." Charsi was a fit woman and years of working as the Sisters' Smith had left her with a body shaped by it. She had blonde hair and a child like face.

Kashya was built much like Charsi, but was taller with blonde hair hidden under a helm. She was currently dressed for battle with Chain Mail over her chest and metal boots and gloves. She was ready for a fight.

Setting her broth to the side she nodded at both of them before speaking, "Charsi how is our supply situation?"

"Well High Priestess the armaments we were able to flee with have come in handy for arming the remaining Rogues as fully as we can, our foodstuffs are well stocked for at least another three weeks, and thats it for the good news. The bad news is we cannot recoup our supplies till we break the evils hold on the Monastery and we cannot retreat any further as we haven't the materials to forge the river."

Akara sipped her broth for a second, "How long do you think we can stretch our food supplies?"

Charsi looked thoughtful for a moment, "I can double that three weeks to six with rationing. After that I cant be sure I can feed every mouth in the camp especially as we keep sheltering refugees from the countryside."

Kashya was the next to speak up, "I will be the first to suggest it, but we cannot continue to shelter all these people. We must be reserving our strength to push the hellspawn back from," she gestured around them,"our glorious hovel."

Akara responded vehemently as she stood and slammed her hand on the table, "Absolutely unacceptable, we are here to protect these people we must continue to do so, what would you have me do Kashya? Throw them to the wilderness? The average farmer would be slaughtered in a day."

Kashya had the good graces to look ashamed, but still had the fire of an argument in her eyes. Instead though she merely nodded, "Understood High Priestess. Can I at least request that I be allowed to pull a few of the Rogues off of guard duty in order to assault one of the Demon Nests weve found?"

"I will consider it Kashya. Now if you will excuse me I must go meet with Gheed he has offered to help by "selling" us more weapons." Akara shook her head before walking off. Each of the other two sisters watched her go before heading off to their respective posts.

Akara met up with Gheed at his tent noting immediately that it was as far from the entrance as possible without being in the River. _'He sets up like hes getting ready to flee.'_

"Hello Gheed."

"Hello my dear friend! Howre you this fine morning? Sleep well?"

"Well enough. I have come to barter with you for some of your supplies after you refused to simply give to the common defense I figured some gold might entice you..."

"Ahh yes! Well I am not completely without sympathy my dear Akara I will of course give you the discount I give to my dear friends."

Akara nodded crossing her arms, "Well how much for the materials we discussed earlier this week?"

"Do you still have a list? It would certainly help old Gheed put everything together for you and the other sisters...

"I...do not. I will have to get it from my tent, your asking price was 200 gold pieces if I remember correctly?"

"Yes it is High Priestess."

"Thats robbery Gheed, you know it, and I know it. Drop your price."

"Im afraid I can-" Akara put her hands on her hips,"You can Gheed my arrows say so."

Gheed took a step back, but as he was about to respond to her a yell descended over the camp. "Close the Gate! Rogues to Arms!"

Akara turned ignoring the man and rushed to her tent the voice had been Kashyas and even if she was militant she wouldnt raise the alarm without serious danger to the Encampment.

She dashed past the fire noting as each of the Rogues took a position on the wall and rushing to Kashya who was leaning over a young Rogue scout.

"You sounded the alarm, what is going on?"

"Blood Raven is moving High Priestess," gesturing to the downed scout who was pale and bleeding despite Kashyas efforts, "She comes with an army several hundred strong this one warned us with her last breath. Blood Raven will be here within the day."

Akara looked around at the gathered peasants that had heard, all knew the name Blood Raven and all looked terrified. "Light help us all."

Kashya had been busy as after calling out the alarm she sent out several parties to gather lumber to further strengthen their limited barricade as well as setting up pools of oil to light their enemies. She had then ordered each of the merchants to set up their carts as further hinderance assuming any monsters made it through the outer walls of the Encampment in order to funnel them into set up "kill zones."

The final set of defenses was a hip high wall surrounding the central fire pit that was supported by several dragons teeth outside of that. It was here in the center she had put the High Priestess and other Peasants and armed any of the able bodied men with swords and what armor they had.

She was not confident.

As Kashya finished her rounds around the perimeter of the West wall she watched the sun start to go down and noted the torches across the Blood Moor that were moving towards them. They seemed much closer now that the sun was finishing its trip across the sky.

Kashya watched as the sun set and silently recited a prayer to the light it would not be her last. She also looked around at the Sisters around her and repeated it for them as well. As she walked among them she was stopped by a young blonde named Paige the girl was attempting to organize her arms and was having trouble with some of the heavier armor. She stopped and stood up tall when she noted Kashya standing before her, "Ma'am."

"Paige wasnt it?" Kashya could see the fear in her eyes.

"Yes thats me."

"Have you been bloodied yet? I know you were with us on the retreat from the Monastery, but you are quite young to be up here with us."

"No ma'am I was not my...Mistress Shiana forced me to flee and faced Blood Raven in order to buy me and my sisters time. Did you know her?

"Yes I did." Kashya dismissed the name quickly," I remember when I was still an apprentice it is no small thing to leave a comrade behind let alone a Mistress."

Kashya picked up the thick leather armor and helped the younger girl get it over her head before tying it up and then turned her around. Kashya was tall, nearly six foot so she towered over the much smaller girl. "Do not let the Mistress' sacrifice be in vain, fight hard and remember stay mobile. You are small and quick." Kashya turned and walked towards a better vantage point, '_If we survive this Blood Raven I will have your head for the innocence your fall took from us.'_

It was dark now as they waited for the enemy who had doused their torches in an attempt to hide their approach.

It would not matter.

She could hear them now, the roars and growls of the Demons and other malformed monstrosities. The gnashing of their teeth and clanging of their swords drifted on the wind, she squinted into the now darkened night for a moment and listened.

Then the moon cleared from the cloud cover and revealed the hundreds strong demonic army in all its horror. Just long enough to drive a sliver of fear into her heart, but it didnt matter.

They were close enough, though the cloud cover hid the moon and thus their enemy she knew for there was more than just sound. She knew that out in the night there were walking dead and multitudes of the smaller Fallen and their Shaman their to resurrect them.

"Sisters hold strong! We will win the night you have your targets, sighters notch! Aaaand fire!"

Several hundred arrows flew and found targets, the few that were on fire each hit their mark and lit the deposits of oil and fat the Rogues had dropped around their camp. They burst into flames and the battle field was lit up along with several un-lucky Fallen finding themselves now on fire. As they turned to run away or fell they were pushed forward by the walking dead scattered among them or brought back to life by their Shaman.

Kashya and the first line of twenty Rogues dropped back as the second line notched their arrows aiming high in order to arc into the much more visible mass of enemies.

"Second Archery aim for the Shaman! Ready, fire!"

The next group loosed their arrows and much of the din of the battle was filled with roars of pain or the unmistakable noise of an arrow hitting flesh. Though many fell they were brought back just as quickly by dark magic or in the case of walking dead continuing on, oblivious to the arrows protruding from them.

Kashya gritted her teeth as she called the next group up. "First Archery, Aiiiim, fire!"

The third volley finally put some of the monsters down, but it didnt matter as most had managed to close to the gate as well as the wall itself. "Keep firing, Archerys rotate fire!"

As Kashya continued to yell she watched the Southern wall light up as magic began to come into play and fireballs began to scorch the palisades before doing the same on her part of the wall.

The Rogue next to her was notching her arrow as she was struck in the neck by a fireball. It took her head off in a mess of gore while filling the surrounding area with the smell of burnt pork and shit. Another girl had her hair lit on fire and fell over the edge to the beasts below her screams drifting up to the remaining Rogues.

Kashya herself was covered in brain as the area near her lit up briefly. She turned and hurled her lunch on the floor before noting the Archery lines had paused, "What are you waiting for? We have to take out those Shaman! Aim, fire!"

The fifth volley finally managed to put a dent in the Shaman that were bombarding them just as the first ladders appeared on the edge of the wall. It took Kashya a second to decide on her decision, "First Archery continue firing, everyone else draw weapons and prepare to throw them back! Oil light and over the walls!"

The first few of the Fallen worked quickly up the ladders before they were thrown back or burned to death by bubbling oil, still fireballs flew at the Rogues as they tried to push the enemy back, more of them fell one by one.

Finally only eight of the twenty Rogues on the West Wall remained when the first Fallen appeared among them from the ladders. Kashya beheaded the red skin monstrosity and kick its body into its companion leaning back at the last second as another fire ball flew by her head and then ducking a club swing as the Fallen continued to swamp their position.

She swung up and blocked the club with her sword and drew a knife stabbing the beast in the throat in a downward stroke. Then she took stock of the situation. Looking back she noted four of the Rogues still firing arrows among them was the young Paige her blonde hair covered in soot. The other three had drawn blades and were holding the line on the wall, albeit one of the girls had a nasty gash on her head and another was holding her left side a pool of blood at her feet.

Then the whole structure shook and she looked out towards the source to see two giant ape beasts beating away at their makeshift gate. Kashya kicked her current opponent low then in a swift motion tossed it over the wall and into the darkness she yelled to the three remaining archers with arrows. "Take out the Wendigo beasts before they break through!"

Then Kashya felt white hot pain her side and she was suddenly cheek to the ground. She rolled to her back finding her sword had slipped from her reach and one of the red skinned Fallen standing over her the moonlight shining off its fangs. It went to strike and she instinctively covered her face only to have it fall on her with an arrow through its eye. She pushed the Fallen of her and rolled to her feet grabbing her sword as the retreat horn sounded when the Wendigos managed to finally rip open the gate and began to storm into the Encampment only being blocked by the carts.

"Rogues down the ladder, Paige we need those beasts dead Ill cover you! Sabrina, Isabella with me everyone else to the courtyard!"

The south walls remaining Rogues were clamoring down the ladder into the center courtyard to attempt to stop the demons flowing through the gate from killing everyone their swords out having long since expended their arrows.

Then the battlefield lit up in a blue light in the center of town around two figures.

Two figures sat behind the walls in the central courtyard they had offered theyre help to the Rogues, but in the hustle and bustle of preparing been turned away. They watched the two walls as they were assaulted and prepared for the worst.

"Do you hear that sister?"

"Yes, the beasts will break through the walls."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"We should have been up on those walls helping them..."

"I know, but Kashya would not listen, at least we can follow through and defend the innocent. Isn't that why we are on this little quest?"

At that moment the beasts decided to burst through the gates with a roar. The two giant apes charged forward the first being slain by an arrow through the ear and falling. Blocking the door way for a moment as the two sisters threw off their robes revealing leather armor beneath. Each was a brunette with tan skin and dark eyes, one held a sword and shield and the other a staff.

As the monsters entered the camp they were pushed into tight spaces and left to go directly into a choke point that was established by the Rogues earlier. They had hoped not to be out of arrows though.

Each sister whispered in the language of the ancients for a moment and threw their arms out for a second. In a burst of light and cold air blue energy gathered around them and swirled momentarily around them.

Akara gasped from where she was at the two sisters, "Zann Esu!"

One of the Brunettes charged forward and leaped over the stone wall and at the horde of monsters while the other continued to chant before a blue ball of ice energy began to charge in between her palms.

The other brunette met the large Ape creature and the few remaining monster charging over the other ape's corpse. She halted, closed her eyes and then threw her arms up as a shockwave of blue energy flew along the ground and left the monsters in its wake covered in frost.

Ducking the swing of an arm the energy around her flared as she rolled between the beast's legs and speared a smaller demon on her sword. The monster turned to catch the tiny creature that had harmed it when it was struck in the back by the other sisters attack. It froze the beast in place and it was shattered by another shockwave from the brunette that was among the beasts.

The remaining creatures had now seen their heavy hitters fall and with it their morale was broken, the armed peasants rallied as well and charged forward hacking into other creatures that were covered in frost and slowed by magic. This all came as the remaining Rogues decided to choose that moment to slam into the flanks of the twenty or so remaining creatures in the camp.

The demon army fled in defeat after a few more of the number fell and as they fled the moon finally came out from behind the clouds and revealed the carnage. Some fires still burned, bodies laid everywhere, women and beasts.

Yet they had won the night.

The night had been long and after they had driven the hellspawn back had come the clean up. The immediate issue had been the entrance of the two Zann Esu sorceress' into the Encampment.

Kashya had almost responded violently when she realized the two had not helped in the battle and had then stormed off when told she had refused their help. Eventually the Rogues had began the clean up in shifts of the battlefield and were finishing up as the sun came up.

It was at this point that the two Mages began to head out of the camp only to be halted by Akara at the partially rebuilt gate.

"Sister sorcesses please wait!"

The Sister that had been wielding the sword and shield turned, "How can we help you High Priestess?"

"Please, stay I can offer you rations and somewhere to sleep, we need your help. Please?"

The sisters looked at each other, "It is a warm bed Avia.."

"That one blonde wants to kill us though Cris."

Akara spoke up, "Kashya will be of no trouble to you please stay we could use the added defense?"

They looked at each other again, before the one nearest sorceress spoke up, "We will stay High Priestess if only till your defenses are strengthened again then we must get back onto the road to the East."

Akara smiled, "Thank You! What do I call each of you?"

The closest girl, the one who had been wielding a sword and shield smiled. "I am Cristana and this is my twin sister Avia. As you know we are of the Zann Esu and we are searching for the source of the devastation to the Western Kingdoms. Thank you for welcoming us. Where can we lay down our things?"


End file.
